Video communications systems are continually being enhanced to meet requirements such as reduced cost, reduced size, improved quality of service, and increased data rate. Many advanced processing techniques can be specified in a video compression standard. Typically, the design of a compliant video encoder is not specified in the standard. Optimization of the communication system's requirements is dependent on the design of the video encoder.
Video encoding standards, such as H.264, may utilize a combination of intra-coding and inter-coding. Intra-coding in H.264 uses spatial prediction based on information that is contained in the picture itself. Inter-coding uses motion estimation and motion compensated prediction. The encoding process for motion estimation includes selecting motion data that describes a displacement applied to samples of another picture. As the complexity of a video compression system increases, optimization of the platform constraints must be considered.
Limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art through comparison of such systems with the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.